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Holidays and Carbon Monoxide
11/15/09
Hi!
I apologize for not posting for so long. What the heck happened!!! It just shows how quickly time flies (at least in my life). Fortunately, my son-in-law ( and web guru), Frank, busted my chops about my lack of blogginess!?**?!
The fall/winter holidays on the Central Coast also coincide with cold temperatures (and starting to use your furnace). From San Luis Obispo to Pismo, to Paso Robles, one of the dangers of a damaged furnace is Carbon Monoxide poisoning. This is not the only source of Carbon Monoxide.
This can occur for a couple of reasons. In wall heaters, it can develop over time in a poorly installed or corroded flue vent pipe. It can also develop from a control valve that has a malfunctioning pressure regulator. In forced air furnaces, this can occur when you get a crack in your “heat exchanger” or “fire box”. The heat exchanger is meant to keep the combustion air (air used to make the burner flame) from the recirculating air (the air that circulates thru the furnace and into your home). With a crack in the heat exchanger, the air that circualtes through the home (recirculating air) may get mixed with combustion air and carbon monoxide. In the cases mentioned here, the heater may still be operating with no noticeable problems.
A lesser known source of Carbon Monoxide poisoning is your oven. Most ovens routinely put out some Carbon Monoxide. This source has been more critical in newer houses that are well sealed for energy savings. Typically, there is plenty of oxygen in the house to prevent nominal amounts of Carbon Monoxide from being a problem. A source of fresh air (and fresh oxygen) can prevent the Carbon Monoxide from being as dangerous. In most cases, your oven is not on for extended periods of time, and thus, will not deplete the available oxygen. This may not be the case during the holidays when you may be cooking continuously. Fortunately, if you are doing a lot of cooking, you probably have people opening and closing outside doors, which helps in replacing depleted oxygen. Another thing to remember is to turn on your cooking exhaust fan while the oven is on.
So, how do you deal with Carbon Monoxide (The Silent Killer) in your home?
1. Install a Carbon Monoxide detector. Make sure you follow the location instructions. Carbon Monoxide is lighter than air, so you should locate it 4 feet or higher on the wall. Also, not too close to the kitchen, so you don’t get false alarms.
2. During marathon cooking sessions, like holidays, crack open a window or door open to replenish the oxygen in the house, and turn on your cooking exhaust fan.
3. Although I am not a proponent of annual furnace inspections, I do recommend that every 3 to five years you have it done by a professional. The gas company will do a safety inspection at no charge, and I highly recommend that you take advantage of this BEFORE the winter comes. The gas company is swamped as the cold weather begins, and your inspection of a working heater in winter, could delay service to someone who is in greater need. So, be kind to your neighbor and inspect in the summer.
4. If you have a furnace that is over 20 years old, no matter what condition it’s in, this is a great time to replace it. With the Federal Energy Tax Credit of up to $1500, you can get a high efficiency furnace for about the same price as a standard efficiency furnace.
Please feel free to email me at pchvac@msn.com if you have any questions regarding Carbon Monoxide, or furnaces and appliances. Happy Holidays.
Rich Johnson
P.S.
I’ll try to be a good boy and keep up with my (supposed) weekly posts.
